“Spring is upon us. Winter’s accumulated snow and ice are beginning to melt. Gentle rains soak the land. The earth itself seems heavy with moisture—saturated with it—and the landscape is becoming a wellspring of life.
Spring is a season of birth, new beginnings, renewal, and growth—a time for the earth to make manifest the latent potential within all things. Seeds are germinating, flowers budding, insects buzzing, leaves unfurling. And despite our growing separation from the natural world, we are deeply affected by this gentle stirring around us.
Our physiology senses a natural opportunity for a fresh, clean start; our bodies are primed to lighten things up, cleanse ourselves of any accumulated imbalances, and rejuvenate our deepest tissues.
As the natural world emerges from its long winter slumber, it is common to experience a renewed sense of joy and inspiration. But for many, the spring season is also associated with seasonal irritants, heaviness, and feelings of lethargy.
Thankfully, an appropriate seasonal routine can help us overcome spring’s challenges while promoting optimal health so that we can truly celebrate the gifts this season has to offer.
How to Create a Supportive Spring Diet
Many people notice a natural but distinct shift in their cravings as winter gives way to spring. The arrival of the warmer weather often marks a decline in our desire for the heavy, substantive foods so essential during the winter months.
In fact, many notice an increasingly insistent preference for lighter fare. Your appetite may decrease, and you may find yourself craving fruit, fresh vegetables, and salads galore.
This is your body’s way of telling you that it’s time for some spring cleaning. In fact, spring is a perfect time of year for a cleanse. Juice fasts with pomegranate or apple juice and monodiets are wonderfully supportive.
But even outside the confines of a structured dietary cleanse, you can support your body’s natural desire to purify and renew by favoring the pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes and by eating warm, light foods that are relatively easy to digest.
These habits help balance mucus production, regulate moisture levels, and serve to open the channels of elimination so critical for purification.
- You can start your day with a light breakfast of fresh fruit or tea.
- Lunches and dinners of light, cooked grains, steamed vegetables, and legumes are often perfect choices.
- Drink room temperature, warm, or hot beverages. You might even consider sipping on some warm water with a dab of honey throughout the day.
- Structure your diet around eating lots of fresh (but not necessarily raw) vegetables and a variety of legumes. These foods tend to be astringent and often somewhat bitter.
- Many also benefit from eating lots of bitter greens, cabbage family vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.), and spicy foods like green chilies.
- Eaten in moderation, freshwater fish, tofu, and poached or hardboiled eggs are also appropriate during the spring season.
- You can enhance your meals with the pungent flavor of onions, garlic, ginger, black pepper, chili pepper, small amounts of cayenne pepper, and an unlimited variety of herbs and spices.
Ideal Spring Foods
The following is a list of ideal spring foods recommended by prominent leaders in the Ayurvedic community, including Usha and Vasant Lad, MASc, and John Douillard.
Fruits to Favor
| Apples, Apricots, Blueberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Raisins, Peaches, Pears, Limes, Pomegranates, Prunes (soaked), Raspberries, Strawberries, and Other Dried Fruit Lemons and Limes. |
Vegetables to Favor
| Artichoke, Asparagus, Bell Peppers, Beets & Beet Greens, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Chilies, Collard Greens, Corn, Dandelion Greens, Endive, Garlic, Green Beans, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Onion, Peas, Potatoes, white Radishes, Spinach, Sprouts, Turnips. |
Grains to Favor
| Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Corn, Millet, Oats (dry, not cooked), Quinoa Rice, Basmati, Rice Cakes, Rye, Seitan, Tapioca. |
Legumes to Favor
| Aduki Beans, Bean Sprouts, Black Beans, Black-Eyed Peas, Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans, Lima Beans, Lentils, Miso, Mung Beans, Navy Beans, Pinto Beans, Tempeh, Toor Dal, White Beans. |
Seeds to Favor
| Popcorn, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds. |
Dairy to Favor
| Cottage Cheese, Goat’s Milk, Yogurt. |
Animal Products to Favor
| Eggs, Freshwater Fish, Poultry (white meat), Shrimp, Venison. |
Oils to Favor
| Corn Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Ghee, Mustard Oil, Safflower Oil, Sunflower Oil. |
Sweeteners
| Honey, Maple Syrup, Molasses. |
Spices to Favor
All spices will generally be very supportive through the spring season.”
Source: https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/seasonal-guides/spring-guide/